Introduction
When comparing two short stories, “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving, one should focus on the similarities and differences between these journeys. While both characters travel away from home and experience changes in their lives, these events impact them differently. In this comparative discussion, the similarities and differences between the two short stories will be explored to detect how the main characters in these works changed under the impact of their journeys.
Similarities
There is at least one similar feature between the journeys of Rip Van Winkle and Goodman Brown. In particular, they both leave their wives to go to the woods for some change or answers. Goodman Brown took “a dreary road darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest” (Hawthorne, 2012, p. 25). Similarly, Rip Van Winkle’s journey through the woods was characterized by his tripping on “the wild grape vines that twisted their coils and tendrils from tree to tree” (Irving, 1888, p. 32). Thus, for both characters, the woods represent the wilderness and darkness of the unknown where they want to go to understand themselves.
Differences
As for the differences in these journeys, one might emphasize that Rip Van Winkle leaves a nagging evil wife when he leaves home to obtain some freedom. He escapes from the tyranny in his family, which represents America of the time before the revolution (Irving, 1888). As for Goodman Brown, his trip to the dark woods is motivated by his search for his identity, while his wife is good to him (Hawthorne, 2012). In this regard, Rip Van Winkle obtains freedom and continues his life after the journey as a man who is happy to be free and without a wife. However, Goodman Brown loses faith in God and his belief in his happy life with his wife.
Conclusion
Thus, these stories demonstrate that the journeys of the two main characters had different impacts on their transformation. In the case of Rip Van Winkle, his transformation was characterized by the magical transition of living twenty years in one night, which led him to become a free man. As for Goodman Brown, his journey transformed him from a hopeful and loyal man to a faithless and unhappy individual.
References
Hawthorne, N. (2012). Young Goodman Brown and other short stories. Dover Publications.
Irving, W. (1888). Rip Van Winkle. S.E. Cassino.
Loading...
